Chicago Rush vs. Indiana Firebirds

[Tannerman]

Amy and I were fortunate to get tickets to this final home game for free. How? By participating in the Chicago Rush Blood Drive the week before. If you donated blood, they gave you free tickets. And before you ask... No, I didn't give blood. Keep those needles away from me! Ironically, Amy attempted to give, but her iron count was too low. In the end, however, they gave us free tickets anyway... and one extra for my dad to join us at the game.


Great cause, just don't poke me!
Our tickets were for the Rush vs. Indiana Firebirds game. This was the second time we've seen the Firebirds play during the season; the last was when we drove down to Indy to visit with my sis and attend a road game. While the Rush had clinched a playoff spot with last week's win over Dallas, a victory against Indiana would mean hosting a playoff game at home as well as clinching the Central Division Championship.


Speaking of fire, how about our pregame show?
What the Rush Front Office didn't tell us when they provided the free tickets was that they were situated RIGHT BEHIND a section of fans that had driven up from Indiana to watch their team on the road.


Indiana fans in full force, blocking our view
They were part of the Firebird Fanatics Fan Club, and although I hate everything that has to do with Indiana, I must say I've always been impressed with the way they run their club. It's top notch. Chicago's fan club? It's mired in political corruption and controversy... now that's the Chicago way!


Look at all that oranage... it's sickning!
To say that Amy was a bit annoyed about having to sit behind this group of fans was an understatement. But we made the best of it. I eventually struck up some friendly conversations with them. One thing about AFL fans... even though we hate each other on the field, there's unity as far as advancing the game of Arena Football, especially when we are dwarfed by the "Big 4" sports leagues.


Our perspective from section 113... in the corner on the main floor
Of course, the humorous bashing of each other's team took place. They complained about our traffic. I made fun of the fact that they don't change their clocks. They talked about how great the Indiana Pacers were. I denied that Chicago even had an NBA team. However, it did get annoying every time their players did stuff and they stood up, blocked everyone's view, and made a big racket. It's OK to cheer for your team, but be considerate of those around you as well!


Firebirds players standing around, wondering why they are losing
Thankfully, their joy was short-lived, as Chicago ended up winning the game 53-37 in front of 14,399 fans. Our candidate for "Rookie of the Year," Etu Molden, scored 4 touchdowns, including a special teams fumble recovery in the 2nd Quarter. Our kicker, Keith Gispert, kicked the ball off the nets, however it was mishandled by Indiana, they lost the ball, and we came up with it in the endzone for the score. It was all downhill from there for the Firebirds.


Read it and weap, Indiana! Enjoy your 500 next weekend.
During all the games we've attended this season, I've played with the settings on our digital camera, trying to find a good mix for shooting games indoors. The high-speed action combined with the varied lighting conditions have made it a challenge. As the final seconds of the Indiana game ticked down, I played with the "non-stop shutter" mode, which allows you to take a whole series of photos in a row by just holding down the shutter button. Our camera also has a unique feature that allows you to flip the viewfinder display 180 degrees so that you can frame photos while staring directly into the lens. Watch how long it takes Amy to notice that I was shooting photos:





The Rush hit the road next week for their final regular season game against the Colorado Crush (at their last meeting in Chicago, the Rush beat the Crush). After that, it's the first round of the playoffs, and we'll be hosting a game on June 6. It will be interesting to see who we will play!


Hat Guy
Oh, by the way, after the game, the guy pictured in the above photo wanted to know if I would trade my Rush hat for his Firebirds hat. I considered it for a split second, but declined. Of the two Rush hats I own, the one I wore to the game is no longer being made and I'm rather fond of it. It was cool that he asked, however.

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